Top US jockey Chris Antley, the dual-winner of the Kentucky Derby has been found dead in suspicious circumstances at his home in California.
Police have launched a murder investigation after he was found by a family friend suffering from fatal head injuries.
The 34-year-old jockey, who had battled against drug addiction and weight problems, made two heroic comebacks to racing.
He won his first Kentucky Derby with Strike The Gold in 1991 and repeated this achievement with a dramatic victory in the same race last year with the 33-1 outsider Charismatic, who fractured a leg. It was Antley’s prompt action in dismounting immediately, which was later credited with helping vets to save the horse’s life.
During his long and successful career, Chris Antley won 3,480 races from 19,719 rides and is believed to have earned more than £63 million.
